Daniel Boone: The Pioneer of Kentucky
presented the most favorable opportunities for concealment in ambush.
Gerty was a desperado who was to be feared as well as hated. Contrary to
the judgment of both Colonels Todd and Boone, it was decided to pursue
the Indians. There was no difficulty in following the trail of so large
a band, many of whom were mounted. Their path led almost directly north,
to the Licking River, and then followed down its banks towards the Ohio.
As the pursuers were cautiously advancing, they came to a remarkable
bend in the stream, where there was a large and open space, with prairie
grass very high. A well trampled buffalo track led through this grass,
which was almost like a forest of reeds. Along this "street" the Indians
had retreated. The scouts who had been sent forward to explore, returned
with the report that there were no signs of Indians. And yet, four
hundred savages had so adroitly concealed themselves, that their line
really extended from bank to bank of the river, where it bent like a
horseshoe before them. The combined cunning of the Indian, and the
intelligence of their white leaders, was now fatally enlisted for the
destruction of the settlers. A hundred and eighty men were to be caught
in a trap, with five hundred demons prepared to shoot them down.
As soon as Colonel Todd's party passed the neck of this bend, the
Indians closed in behind them, rose from their concealment, and with
terrific yells opened upon them a still more terrific fire. The pioneers
fought with the courage of desperation. At the first discharge, nearly
one third of Colonel Todd's little party fell dead or wounded. Struck
fatally by several bullets, Colonel Todd himself fell from his horse
drenched with blood. While a portion of the Indians kept up the fire,
others, with hideous yells sprang forward with tomahawk and scalping
knife, completing their fiendlike work. It was a scene of awful
confusion and dismay. The survivors fighting every step of the way,
retreated towards the river, for there was no escape back through their
thronging foes. Colonel Boone's two sons fought by the side of their
father. Samuel, the younger, struck by a bullet, was severely but not
mortally wounded. Israel, his second son, fell dead. The unhappy father,
took his dead boy upon his shoulders to save him from the scalping
knife. As he tottered beneath the bleeding body, an Indian of herculean
stature with uplifted tomahawk rushed upon him. Colonel Boone dropped
the body of his son, shot the Indian through the heart, and seeing the
savages rushing upon him from all directions, fled, leaving the corpse
of his boy to its fate.
Being intimately acquainted with the ground, he plunged into a ravine,
baffling several parties who pursued him, swam across the river, and
entering the forest succeeded in escaping from his foes, and at length
safely by a circuitous route returned to Bryant's Station. In the
meantime the scene of tumult and slaughter was awful beyond all
description. Victors and vanquished were blended together upon the banks
of the stream. In this dreadful conflict there were four Indians to each
white man. There was a narrow ford at the spot, but the whole stream
seemed clogged, some swimming and some trying to wade, while the
exultant Indians shot and tomahawked without mercy. Those who succeeded
in crossing the river, leaving the great buffalo track which they had
been following, plunged into the thickets, and though vigorously
pursued by the Indians, most of them eventually reached the settlements.
In this dreadful disaster, the colonists lost sixty men in killed and
seven were taken prisoners. The Indians in counting up their loss, found
that sixty-four were missing. In accordance with their barbaric custom,
they selected in vengeance four of the prisoners and put them to death
by the most terrible tortures which savage ingenuity could devise. Had
Colonel Boone's advice been followed, this calamity might have been
avoided. Still characteristically, he uttered not a word of complaint.
In his comments upon the event he says:
"I cannot reflect upon this dreadful scene but sorrow fills my heart. A
zeal for the defence of their country led these heroes to the scene of
action, though with a few men to attack a powerful army of experienced
warriors. When we gave way, they pursued us with the utmost eagerness,
and in every quarter spread destruction. The river was difficult to
cross, and many were killed in the flight; some just entering the river,
some in the water, others after crossing, in ascending the cliffs. Some
escaped on horseback, a few on foot; and being dispersed everywhere in a
few hours, brought the melancholy news of this unfortunate conflict to
Lexington. The reader may guess what sorrow filled the hearts of the
inhabitants; exceeding anything I am able to describe. Being reinforced
we returned to bury the dead, and found their bodies strewed everywhere,
cut and mangled in a dreadful manner. This mournful scene exhibited a
horror almost unparalleled; some torn and eaten by wild beasts; those in
the river eaten by fishes; all in such a putrified condition that no one
could be distinguished from another."
This battle of the Blue Licks, as it is called, occupies one of the most
mournful pages in the history of Kentucky. The escape of Boone adds
another to the extraordinary adventures of this chivalric and now
sorrow-stricken man. Colonel Boone communicated an official report to
the Governor of Virginia, Benjamin Harrison, father of William Henry
Harrison, subsequently President of the United States. In this report,
it is noticeable that Boone makes no allusion whatever to his own
services. This modest document throws such light upon the character of
this remarkable man, and upon the peril of the times, that it merits
full insertion here. It is as follows:
"Boone's Station, Fayette Co., Aug. 30, 1782.
"Sir,--Present circumstances of affairs cause me to write to Your
Excellency, as follows: On the sixteenth instant, a large body of
Indians, with some white men, attacked one of our frontier
stations, known as Bryant's Station. The siege continued from about
sunrise until two o'clock of the next day, when they marched off.
Notice being given to the neighboring stations, we immediately
raised one hundred and eighty-one horsemen, commanded by Col. John
Todd, including some of the Lincoln County militia, and pursued
about forty miles."
After a brief account of the battle which we have already given, he
continues:
"Afterwards we were reinforced by Colonel Logan, which made our
force four hundred and sixty men. We marched again to the battle
ground, but finding the enemy had gone, we proceeded to bury the
dead. We found forty-three on the ground, and many lay about which
we could not stay to find, hungry and weary as we were, and dubious
that the enemy might not have gone off quite. By the sign, we
thought that the Indians exceeded four hundred, while the whole of
the militia of the county does not amount to more than one hundred
and thirty.
"From these facts, Your Excellency may form an idea of our
situation. I know that your own circumstances are critical; but are
we to be wholly forgotten? I hope not. I trust that about five
hundred men may be sent to our assistance immediately. If these
shall be stationed as our county lieutenant shall deem necessary,
it may be the means of saving our part of the country. But if they
are placed under the direction of General Clarke, they will be of
little or no service to our settlement. The Falls lie one hundred
miles west of us, and the Indians north-east; while our men are
frequently called to protect them.
"I have encouraged the people in this county all that I could; but
I can no longer justify them or myself to risk our lives here,
under such extraordinary hazards. The inhabitants of this county
are very much alarmed at the thoughts of the Indians bringing
another campaign into our country this fall. If this should be the
case, it will break up these settlements. I hope therefore that
Your Excellency will take the matter into your consideration, and
send us some relief as quick as possible. These are my sentiments
without consulting any person. Colonel Logan will I expect
immediately send you an express, by whom I humbly request Your
Excellency's answer. In the meantime, I remain yours, etc., Daniel
Boone."
General Clarke, who was the military leader of Kentucky under the
Colonial government, was established at _the Falls_. The British
authorities held their head-quarters at Detroit, from which post they
were sending out their Indian allies in all directions to ravage the
frontiers. General Clarke was a man of great energy of character, and
he was anxious to organise an expedition against Detroit. With this
object in view, he had by immense exertions assembled a force of nearly
two thousand men. Much to his chagrin, he received orders to remain at
the Falls for the present, to protect the frontiers then so severely
menaced. But when the tidings reached him of the terrible disaster at
the Blue Lick, he resolved to pursue the Indians and punish them with
the greatest severity.
The exultant savages had returned to Old Chilicothe, and had divided
their spoil and their captives. Colonel Boone was immediately sent for
to take part in this expedition. Clarke's army crossed the Ohio, and
marching very rapidly up the banks of the Little Miami, arrived within
two miles of Chilicothe before they were discovered. On perceiving the
enemy the Indians scattered in all directions. Men, women and children
fled into the remote forest, abandoning their homes and leaving
everything behind them. The avenging army swept the valley with fire and
ruin. Their corn just ripening, and upon which they mainly relied for
their winter supply of food, was utterly destroyed. Every tree which
bore any fruit was felled, and five of their towns were laid in ashes.
The trail of the army presented a scene of utter desolation.
The savages were alike astonished and dismayed. They had supposed that
the white men, disheartened by their dreadful defeat at the Blue Lick,
would abandon the country. Instead of that, with amazing recuperative
power, they had scarcely reached their homes ere another army, utterly
resistless in numbers, is burning their towns and destroying their whole
country.
This avenging campaign so depressed the Indians that they made no
farther attempt for the organised invasion of Kentucky. The termination
of the war with England also deprived them of their military resources,
and left them to their own unaided and unintelligent efforts. Still
miserable bands continued prowling around, waylaying and murdering the
lonely traveler, setting fire to the solitary hut and inflicting such
other outrages as were congenial with their cruel natures. It thus
became necessary for the pioneers always to live with the rifle in hand.
Colonel Boone had become especially obnoxious to the Indians. Twice he
had escaped from them, under circumstances which greatly mortified their
vanity. They recognised the potency of his rifle in the slaughter of
their own warriors at the Blue Lick; and they were well aware that it
was his sagacity which led the army of General Clarke in its avenging
march through their country. It thus became with them an object of
intense desire to take him prisoner, and had he been taken, he would
doubtless have been doomed to the severest torture they could inflict.
Mr. Peck, in his interesting life of Boone, gives the following account